Recently in Best-of Lists Category

Successfully performing someone else's song requires important aesthetic decisions: do you stay faithful to the original, or completely reimagine the song? Are you going for earnest or ironic? Can you get Bruce Springsteen to help out?

Here are 10 artists who did first-rate cover songs in 2010. Some of them are faithful, some are ironic and one features Springsteen.

8.Ted Leo, "And So It Goes" (Nick Lowe) -- Leo is known for his
imaginative selection of covers -- everything from Kelly Clarkson's
"Since U Been Gone" to Eddie & the Hotrods' "Do Anything You Wanna
Do." He busted out this Nick Lowe song when he played Daniel Street in
June. LISTEN (video clip from an in-store appearance at Generation Records in New York).

7. Mavis Staples,
"Wrote a Song for Everyone" (Creedence Clearwater Revival) -- Like she
did with the Band's "The Weight," Staples turns this into a sublime,
soulful shout to the heavens. LISTEN (video clip of Staples and Jeff Tweedy performing an acoustic version).

6. Crooked Fingers,
"Gentle on My Mind" (John Hartford, and covered by Glen Campbell, Elvis
Presley, etc.) -- Clearly a favorite of singer Eric Bachmann, who wrote
the song into the Crooked Fingers tune "Your Control," this version is
spare and, well, gentle, with lovely guitar counterpoints and his
wistful vocals. LISTEN. (h/t Listen, Dammit)

1. Roger Waters, XL Center, Oct. 15 -- A powerful performance of a wrenching album, Waters re-created Pink Floyd's 1979 opus "The Wall" in its entirety on a stage he literally blocked off, brick by cardboard brick, from the audience, before tearing it all down at the end. Even better, he transformed what was at the time an album about his own pain and alienation to a cautionary tale for the world at large, warning against war, avarice and an unseemly thirst for power.

2. Flaming Lips, Mountain Park, July 24 -- Although the Lips' show featured some of the same warnings as Waters', the ambience was wholly difference: giant balloons, confetti, surreal video clips, sing-alongs and a singer inside a hamster ball rolling around atop the crowd made the Oklahoma band's Mountain Park debut a sort of shared freak-out in pursuit of cosmic happiness. Mission accomplished.

3. Frightened Rabbit, Pearl Street, May 1 -- A communal catharsis in sweat-bath conditions in the basement Club Room, these Scottish rockers held the crowd rapt during a 15-song set overflowing with vocal harmonies, relentless rhythm and devastating lyrics about shattered hearts and the aftermath.

4. Wilco, The Bushnell, April 9 -- With 36 songs over a full three hours, this show qualified as prolonged exposure to the full spectrum of Wilco -- the band played old songs, new songs and a Big Star song, and did it with unmistakable energy and enthusiasm.

5. Mastodon, Webster Theatre, April 22 -- One of the fiercest and most rugged young metal bands around, Mastodon blasted through all of its latest album, "Crack the Skye," in the first set, and then returned to unearth a selection of pummeling songs from the rest of its catalog.

6. Ray Davies, Webster Theatre, March 6 -- One of the giants of '60s rock 'n' roll, Davies demonstrated his prodigious skill as a songwriter, and his dry wit, on a generous set of songs from his solo records and the Kinks catalog.

7. Dex Romweber Duo, Café Nine, July 1 -- A tour through some of the forgotten gems of rockabilly and early rock 'n' roll by one of the best overlooked performers around. White Stripes mastermind Jack White has cited Romweber as a major influence, and it was easy to see why: his intensity on stage is every bit a match for his virtuosity.

8. Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Daniel Street, June 3 -- Spending a lot of time on the road has molded this New York indie-pop band into a lively, confident live act, and it showed in the casually tight way the foursome breezed through songs crackling with energy and fuzztone guitars.

9. Bert Jansch, Wadsworth Atheneum, Dec. 11 -- The veteran Scottish singer and guitarist played a captivating solo-acoustic set of folk songs spanning hundreds of years, and his performance was a showcase for his startling skill on guitar and his abilities as a songwriter and interpreter.

10. Lady Gaga, XL Center, Sept. 16 -- She talked too much between songs and tried too hard to maintain a narrative thread with the "Monster Ball" concept, but overreaching aside, Lady Gaga put on one of the most visually arresting shows of the year, with sumptuous sets, flashy (if minimal) costumes and a flaming piano. Suffice to say that Gaga knows how to put on a spectacle.

This has been an excellent year for new music, and also for the Sound Check podcast, so it seemed like a natural idea to combine the two into a year-end extravaganza.

Stephen Busemeyer, Meghan Maguire Dahn and I list off a handful of our favorites on this hour-long wrap-up. We find some common ground (Frightened Rabbit, shown here playing in Austin in March, comes up in a rather positive light), but there's plenty of diversity among our choices, too -- Meghan ranks Grinderman highly, while Steve manages to slip in another Rush reference. (My top-10 albums list is here; Meghan's is below.)

We've been doing the podcasts for nearly four years now, and they're as fun now as when we started -- if not more so. Thank you for helping us make them such a success. There will be plenty to talk about in the new year, too, so hit us up with comments, questions or suggestions.

Previous podcasts are available here, or via the iTunes music store (search on "Hartford Courant"). Thanks again for listening, and happy new year!

4. The National, "High Violet" (4AD) -- After holing up inside on 2007's "Boxer," the National turns its gaze outward on these somber and stately songs, beautifully arranged with strings and horns sighing around singer Matt Berninger's moody baritone. (Listen: "Bloodbuzz Ohio" mp3)

5. Arcade Fire, "The Suburbs" (Merge) -- A searching meditation on the cultural and spiritual effects of growing up within the ever-shifting bounds of suburbia, delivered via dramatic baroque-pop songs brimming with sincerity. (Watch: "Ready to Start" video)

6. LCD Soundsystem, "This is Happening" (Virgin) -- An expansive album full of hypnotic songs that unfold slowly into pulsing soundscapes swirling around over relentless beats as leader James Murphy rolls off lyrics by turns droll and thoughtful. (Watch: "Drunk Girls" video)

7. Big Boi, "Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty" (Purple Ribbon/Def Jam) -- No one has a silkier flow than Big Boi, and he's matched here by songs at once complex, imaginative and deeply funky. Guest spots from Janelle Monáe, Yelawolf and B.o.B don't hurt, but there's never any doubt that this is Big Boi's show. (Watch: "Shutterbugg" video)

9. Titus Andronicus, "The Monitor" (XL) -- A noisy, sprawling song cycle that somehow manages to tie together the Civil War and a calamitous breakup, Titus Andronicus expands its rawboned punk core with piano, strings and exhausted sounding acoustic interludes. On paper, it's a mess. Through the speakers, it's sublime. (Listen: "A More Perfect Union" radio edit mp3)

2. Philistines Jr., "If a Band Plays in the Woods ..." (Tarquin) -- When he's not helping other bands (the National, Interpol, Mates of State, Frightened Rabbit) make amazing albums as a producer, Peter Katis makes his own -- just slowly. Philistines Jr.'s first album in 10 years is playful, quirky and beautifully constructed, with impeccable arrangements of guitar, bass and drums augmented with piano, strings and various elements of percussion. (Buy it here.)

3. Low-Beam, "Charge of the Light Brigade" (Cosmodemonic Telegraph) -- Also the result of a laborious process, Low-Beam spent the better part of four years making this album under the watchful eye of Enfield producer/perfectionist Michael Deming. Their attention to detail pays off on this collection of taut pop-rock songs packed with riveting male-female vocal harmonies, sweeping keyboards and bristly, jangling guitars. (Buy it here.)

4. Chris Webby, "The UnderClassman" (self-released) -- Calling Webby prolific understates the case: the Norwalk rapper has released five free mixtapes online just this year. Clearly he has a lot to say, and he says it best on this collection of good-natured motormouth rhymes celebrating the slacker lifestyle: cartoons, weed and his attention deficit disorder are frequent themes. Don't be fooled, though: nobody who works this hard is a slacker. (Download it here.)

5. Alternate Routes, "Lately" (self-released) -- This Bridgeport alt-country band parted ways with Vanguard Records to self-release the best album of its career so far. These songs, pleasantly rough around the edges, are a little warmer, and a lot deeper than on either previous Alternate Routes album, which is a promising sign that a good band is only getting better. (Buy it here.)

Honorable mention:Heirlooms' self-released EP, a highly promising 4-song introduction to an outstanding new band from Hartford. (Buy it here.)

Even though there's a whole month left in 2010, people are already getting to the best of this and the biggest of that. In fact, NPR Music today "revealed" the top 50 albums of 2010. Thank heavens someone blew the lid off of that one.

It's not quite best-of time here -- look for that in a few weeks -- but Yahoo adds to the pop culture ephemera with a list of its top entertainment searches. Perhaps you've been wondering what song lyrics were the most frequently googled -- er, searched for. Or who were the top-searched celebrities.

Yes, it's true - Eric is on vacation for the next few weeks. I've gotten over my jealousy, and I'll be doing my best to keep you in the loop in his absence. I'm hopeful that the sweet new specs that I picked up a few weeks ago will help me channel the great taste and quick wit that makes Eric's blog one of my favorite stops on the 'Net each morning. I realize these are big shoes to fill, so please be gentle (it is the holiday season, after all).

It's that time of year when we're bombarded by an onslaught of Best Of lists (you'll soon be able to check out my list of favorite albums in the comments area of Eric's Top 10 albums of 2009 post from last week). With 2010 knocking on the door, we're additionally being treated to picks for Best of the Decade, and one of those lists in particular is creating quite a stir.

Billboard's "Best of the 2000s" recap launched last week, and its Artists of the Decade list offers a particularly interesting glance at rock music's commercial influence (or lack thereof) over the last 10 years. Just a single band broke into the Top 10, finishing at No. 7. And that band was none other than Nickelback.

(The list's Top 5 are Eminem, Usher, Nelly, Beyonce and Alicia Keys. The only other rock acts in Billboard's Top 20? Creed (18) and Linkin Park (19).)

Before you get too up in arms over those results, consider the source and the corresponding criteria ("the 20 music stars with the best performance on the Billboard 200 albums chart and the Hot 100 over the last ten years"). It's nevertheless perplexing that the two top rock "artists" of the last decade are bands that it's become fashionable to relentlessly hate on in public. Plenty of people are buying this music, after all - both Nickelback and Creed have sold more than 30 million albums in their careers, and Nickelback was just nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. But how many people do you know who would admit to owning those albums?

Because we're milking this Miley Cyrus thing for all its worth before she performs Thursday in Hartford, and because Miley's new single is "Party in the USA," what better time to compile a highly subjective list of 10-ish great, occasionally tongue-in-cheek songs about partying?

(That's not to be confused with great party songs -- different topic altogether.)

Spoiler: Miley doesn't make the cut.

Feel free to add your picks in the comments section. Here goes:

1. "Fight For Your Right" by the Beastie Boys. Duh. The band now disavows this song, but it's still pretty killer.

2. "It's Time to Party" by Andrew W.K. Other acceptable choices: "Party Hard," "Party Til You Puke," "Long Live the Party" and "Party Party Party." What can you say? Dude likes to party.

3. "Party Pit" by the Hold Steady. Or "Massive Nights" by the Hold Steady. Or "Killer Parties" by the Hold Steady. They like to party, too.

4. "Dance Commander" by Electric Six (above). First, this video is ridiculous. Second, the lines "I went to the store to get more/ Fire/ to start the war" make this song worthy of inclusion.

5. "Party Hardy" by Yo Majesty. Banging beat. Plus, these Florida rappers party so hard they often end up topless on stage.

6. "Rock the Party" by Flight of the Conchords. Transportable enough to be performed at trade shows, in elevators, wherever.

7. "Gin and Juice" by Snoop Dogg. A more gangsta version of "Fight for Your Right," this is what happens when Snoop gets left home alone.

8. "I Wanna Be Sedated" by the Ramones." More about the effects of partying, but a classic nonetheless.

9. "Parties in the U.S.A." by Jonathan Richman. The '60s are gone, Richman notes, but that doesn't mean we can't party like it's 1966.

10. "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" by LCD Soundsystem. Daft Punk, 15 cases and no jocks allowed. Epic.

2. "Season of the Witch" by Donovan. Mentions witches right in the title. Perfect.

3. "Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath. These metal gods recorded plenty of awesome songs, but this is the only one that's scary, thanks to Ozzy pleading, "Oh, no, no, please, God, help me," then getting washed away by Tony Iommi's sweet doom riff.

5. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Dancing ghouls throwing down to a kick-ass bass line in the best music video of all time. Dig it.

6. "Dead People Unite" by Werewolph. Part of a Ryan Adams cheese-metal side project, this song won't be easy to find. But it's a ghoulish gem. Adams sings in a raspy voice about taking down the living where they least expect it: while they're on the Stairmaster. See also: "Mega Wizards." Adams' "Halloweenhead" is another excellent choice, and easier to find.

There are plenty of ways a concert can be memorable, but in the end, it comes down to the music and how well the act performs it. As usual, I saw a lot of different bands this year, in a lot of different places, and many of those shows were excellent. Here are the 10 that impressed me most:

David Byrne, Dec. 2, Calvin Theatre, Northampton, Mass. -- The inspired set list, killer band and a trio of dancers setting his songs to movement made this show as entertaining and compelling visually as it was musically. Given the deep well of creativity and inspiration Byrne draws from, that's saying something.

The Magnetic Fields, Feb. 11, Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton -- This was the opening night of the group's first tour in four years, and it was by turns funny and poignant on gentler acoustic versions of the noisy songs on the band's latest album, "Distortion," and a rich assortment of older material.

The Hold Steady and Drive-By Truckers, Nov. 7, Terminal 5, New York -- Two of the best live bands in the business, sharing one stage in front of a fervent crowd? What's not to love? Both bands played at full throttle, with the Truckers barreling through a too-short set before yielding the stage for the Hold Steady to showcase brawny guitar riffs and brainy lyrics. No wonder the band's fan base keeps growing.

Wilco, Feb. 24, Shubert Theater, New Haven -- Jeff Tweedy and company overcame sketchy sound with an excellent set list and always-impressive musicianship. This is a great live band that is only getting better.

King Khan and the Shrines, Aug. 1, Café Nine, New Haven -- Memorable as much for the chaos as for the music, King Khan's boozy set of garage-soul tunes was often hilarious as he pranced around on the bar wearing only hot pants and a cape. Even better, he made dinner beforehand (courtesy of club owner Paul Mayer), treating fans to chicken he grilled himself by the side door. (Thankfully, Ken Partridge had the unenviable task of making sense of such mayhem in a review.)

Neko Case, Feb. 2, Calvin Theatre -- Here's one singer who needs no studio trickery: Case's powerful voice sounds even more astounding in concert than on her albums, and her performance this night was simply shattering.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, June 4, Mohegan Sun -- Speaking of great voices, Plant and Krauss sang tunes from their album "Raising Sand" and dabbled in Led Zeppelin, including a cover of "The Battle of Evermore." They also provided one of the best concert moments of the year with their heart-stopping version of the dusty hymn "Down to the River to Pray." The song was stuck in my head for days afterward.

Pissed Jeans, April 13, People's Center, New Haven -- This one was as abrasive as the band's name, and awesome nonetheless: In between blowing the power not once, but twice, Pissed Jeans played jagged noise-punks songs with daunting energy. Also notable for a taut performance from Middletown sludge-rockers Sea Legs, who bear watching.

Death Cab for Cutie, Oct. 4, Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford -- What seemed like the wrong venue turned out to work just fine for the Seattle quartet. Death Cab's songs swelled to fill the spacious theater with a sound at once intimate and expansive.

Squeeze, Aug. 25, Warner Theatre, Torrington -- Squeeze is more than just a cult favorite, but there's no question the songwriting -- and performing -- duo of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook is vastly underrated. The band rolled through one power-pop gem after another, digging deep into a catalog that has so much more to offer than "Tempted" or "Black Coffee in Bed" (both of which were featured).

As usual, there was plenty to choose from, and "best" is, of course, a highly subjective term. But these are my 10 favorite albums released in 2008.

This year, you'll also find best-of lists from the music-obsessed folks working at various local concert venues (thanks to the Webster's Rick Bober for the suggestion). Together, these lists provide a pretty interesting survey of the best music of the past year, and there are plenty of bands -- MGMT, for instance, or Winterpills or Kings of Leon -- that were in contention for my own list.

At any rate, here are my picks. The others follow after the jump. Have your own list? Please, share it in the comments section.

1. Bon Iver, "For Emma, Forever Ago" (Jagjaguwar) -- Justin Vernon's solo debut, recorded mostly by himself in a cabin in the woods of northwestern Wisconsin, is a hushed collection that is beautiful and deeply affecting. These soulful songs linger long after the last note has faded, pale shades haunting in their attempts to make sense of broken love.

2. Santogold, "Santogold" (Downtown) -- The debut from Wesleyan alumna Santi White is an adventurous blend of sounds and styles -- dub reggae, new wave, hip-hop -- tied together with her unerring ability to synthesize such disparate parts into an unbelievably catchy whole.

3. The Hold Steady, "Stay Positive" (Vagrant) -- It was too much to hope that the Hold Steady would equal their 2006 masterpiece "Boys and Girls in America" (my favorite record of the '00s so far), but they came close with "Stay Positive." It's another fist-pumping collision of killer guitar riffs ("Yeah Sapphire") and searing lyrics ("Lord, I'm Discouraged") that only enhances the band's well-deserved reputation for playing rock 'n' roll with an abundance of heart.

4. Drive-By Truckers, "Brighter Than Creation's Dark" (New West) -- Despite losing a key member when Jason Isbell left the band in 2007, the Truckers returned stronger than ever with a sprawling 75-minute set that earns every second on 19 songs about regular folk getting by as best they can, through war, loneliness, addiction and, of course, questionable judgment.

5. The Magnetic Fields, "Distortion" (Nonesuch) -- Distortion indeed: Known for sadsack, if bemused, lyrics and lush chamber-pop hooks, bandleader Stephin Merritt this time pushed his preferred musical elements -- piano, organ, mandolin, drums -- to the verge of feedback. The result: aching songs swathed in noise that's velvety and warm on "Old Fools" and crackles along with the deadpan wit of "The Nun's Litany."

6. Death Cab for Cutie, "Narrow Stairs" (Atlantic) -- After a guarded and somber major-label debut in 2005, this Seattle quartet returns on "Narrow Stairs" with an album of taut, thoughtful songs pondering just what it means to grow out of the callow self-absorption so endemic to being in one's 20s.

7. Kanye West, "808's & Heartbreak" (Def Jam) -- Between the death of his mother in November 2007 and the breakup of his engagement a few months later, West has had a rough year. He pours all of that raw emotion into this record, and it's one of the few truly daring musical evolutions a rapper has ever dared to undertake. He sings, for one thing, and though his vocals are often digitized through AutoTune, he nevertheless lays bare his soul on songs that are alternately wrenching and angry.

8. Mates of State, "Re-Arrange Us" (Barsuk) -- Best-known for meandering organ-driven twee-pop songs, the Stratford husband-wife duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel rely more on piano on their fifth album, a more sober and straightforward collection of tunes packed with strong melodies and the gorgeous vocal harmonies that have become a trademark.

9. Castanets, "City of Refuge" (Asthmatic Kitty) -- Arid and spooky, like the noon sun beating down on a desert ghost town, Castanets' latest is also mesmerizing and, at times, unsettling in its dusty splendor.

10. Ry Cooder, "I, Flathead" (Nonesuch) -- The weirdest of Cooder's trilogy of albums about a bygone Los Angeles, this one tells the story of fictional bandleader/race-car driver Kash Buk and his friends and associates, including a mechanically adept space alien named Shakey. The album comes with a 95-page novella fleshing out the plot, but the music speaks for itself: prickly roots rock, bits of jazz, country & western and more, on songs alternately mournful and dirty, and always tongue in cheek.

Forget the Grammys, who's going to win in Playboy's annual music poll?

There are some interesting choices on the ballot in the December issue, which also features Carol Alt talking about how much she loves the raw food diet that made me so miserable in April (though she's not doing the vegan version, the cheater).

Anyway, the music: the nominees here are very much a mix of what's good and what's popular (which, as we know, are usually not the same thing).

For example, the best rock album category comprises Fall Out Boy's "Folie A Deux" (which doesn't actually come out until Dec. 16 -- the day after the deadline to mail in your Playboy ballot), the Hold Steady's "Stay Positive," The Killers' "Day & Age," Kings of Leon's "Only By the Night" and Metallica's "Death Magnetic." Regular Sound Check readers can guess how I'd vote.

Then there are the nominees for best breakout artist: Duffy, MGMT, Paramore, Santogold and Vampire Weekend. Playboy doesn't seem all that relevant these days, but let's be honest: That list is more interesting than the roster of contenders for the best new artist Grammy.

See all the nominees in all the categories and cast your vote here (maybe don't do this at work).

Usually big lists of things -- Paste magazine's catalog of 100 best living songwriters, or AOL's 20 worst songs of all time -- go with an obvious choice, which is all the better to spark the debate such lists are intended to foster.

VH1 bucked the trend with its list of the top 100 hip-hop songs of all time, airing in five episodes Sept. 29-Oct. 3, choosing "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy.

The song, which reached No. 1 on Billboard's rap chart in 1989, is the epitome of what hip-hop could be: hard-hitting, socially conscious and catchy, instead of the self-absorbed bling-fest rap has mostly become.

Classic rappers round out the rest of the top 10, though thug-rapper 50 Cent cracks the top 20, landing "In Da Club" at No. 18. For anyone still stuck on last year's competition between Fiddy and Kanye West, that's two spots ahead of Kanye's "Golddigger," at No. 20.

The music staff at AOL Radio and AOL Music's "Spinner" has come up with a list of the 20 worst songs of all time. In the No. 1 spot: "Who Let the Dogs Out?" by the Baha Men.

Other tunes that made the list include "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes, "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" by Will Smith, "With Arms Wide Open" by Creed, "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls, "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion and, in the No. 2 spot, "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice.

It's true, all those songs are pretty annoying. But are they really the worst songs of all time? Maybe I've been softened up by all the Rick Springfield nuts, who are perfectly content with middle-of-the-road pop songs, but consider: Every one of the tunes on AOL's list made it into rotation on the radio. Some of them have sold hundreds of thousands of copies and were No. 1 hits.

Radio play, chart position and sales data aren't indications of quality. They just measure what people like, and there's definitely no accounting for taste. Still, it seems obvious that the worst songs of all time would be songs that nobody likes -- that's just not as fun to argue about

Here, by popular demand (that's you, Rob), is my list of the best concerts I saw in 2007:

Bruce Springsteen, Oct. 2 at the Hartford Civic Center: Quite simply one of the best shows I've ever seen. The Boss and company fired on all cylinders that night, and in a live setting, his new songs stood proudly alongside the classics.

Wilco, June 24 at the Pines Theatre in Northampton: Singer Jeff Tweedy was as happy on stage as he's ever been, and the band brought his songs to life with jaw-dropping skill.

The Hold Steady, Oct. 31 at Metro in Chicago: Halloween with the Hold Steady? Aw yeah.

The White Stripes, July 25 at Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford: Some in attendance felt shortchanged by the 75-minute set, but it seemed just right to me. There was no filler, just an hour-fifteen of visceral, riveting guitar and drums.

Kelly Clarkson, Oct. 21 at Mohegan Sun Arena: Clarkson can flat-out sing, and her energy and enthusiasm on stage were completely endearing.

Heaven & Hell, May 15 at Mohegan Sun Arena: Heavy metal the way it's supposed to be: Loud, sludgy and theatrical. In other words: totally awesome.

Mark Olson and The Last Town Chorus, Sept. 1 at the Iron Horse in Northampton: Olson's a gifted vocalist who outdid himself here, and Last Town Chorus singer/guitarist Megan Hickey performed a version of Lee Ann Womack's "Painless" so wrenching it made you feel lonesome for no good reason, and that was reason enough.

Kings of Leon, Oct. 1 at Toad's Place in New Haven: This band just keeps getting better. Their latest album, "Because of the Times," is brilliant, and they put on a tight, rugged performance.

The National, Oct. 10 at Pearl Street in Northampton: This band released my favorite album of 2007, and the songs only get better in concert. I saw the National twice last year, but this is the show that mesmerized me.

Yo Majesty, July 13 at Sonotheque in Chicago: This show started as a fringe benefit of the Pitchfork Music Festival, but these three lesbian rappers from Florida made their performance one of the essential events of the weekend, running wild over the audience packed into this little club west of the Loop.

After extensive whittling from a healthy list of contenders, here are my 10 favorite albums from 2007, with a handful of runners-up. (Have your own list of 10 favorites? Post it in the comments section below.)

1.The National, “Boxer” (Beggar’s Banquet) — Beautiful and sometimes discomfiting, these 12 songs
make the search for one’s place in adulthood seem as sublime as it can be perplexing. Hypnotic drumming and lush musical arrangements frame Matt Berninger’s resonant baritone voice, and he sings elegant lyrics that are vivid, yet impressionistic. “Boxer” is powerful, melodic and deeply moving, and it is the best album of 2007.

2.Radiohead, “In Rainbows” (self-released) — Not only did Radiohead smack the music industry across the face by offering its seventh album on its website for whatever price you were willing to pay, the English band’s painstaking work on “In Rainbows” makes it a penetrating mix of technology and emotion, and Radiohead’s best album in a decade.3.LCD Soundsystem, “Sound of Silver” (Capitol) — On his second outing as LCD Soundsystem, James Murphy constructs thumping electro-rock arrangements that make your hips twitch, then tops them with droll lyrics that feed your head. Smart, catchy and sardonic? What’s not to love?

The surprise here is that some of these albums don't suck. The records by Amy Winehouse, Kanye West and John Mayer were pretty good, even. Aside from Kanye's outstanding "Stronger," though, the singles were pretty much disposable: